5 Scariest Yokai In Anime
Here is everything you need to know about the 5 scariest Yokai in anime.
Table of Contents
Naraku (Inuyasha)
Considering Naraku was born from the murderous bandit Onigumo, it makes sense that Naraku would be just as much of a monster. He’s the greatest threat to humans in Inuyasha, which is mainly due to the fact that Naraku has hundreds of yokai on his side.
If Naraku’s massive strength didn’t make him scary enough, Naraku has an obsession with Kikyo that is downright creepy. While most yokai enjoy causing mischief for people, Naraku enjoys creating chaos and misery. He even laughs at the fact that he’s responsible for the death of Sango’s entire family, which is pretty heartless.
Mushi (Mushishi)
The yokai, which are called Mushi in the anime Mushishi, have a bad habit of attaching themselves to people. This is especially true for the Mushi known as Darkness of Minato, which burrow themselves into a person’s eyes and make it painful for them to look directly at sunlight.
They may not be the scariest-looking yokai, but the thought of them living in a person’s eyes is downright terrifying. Sui even states that she can feel them moving inside her eyes. Luckily, Ginko is able to get them out of her eyes, and she’s able to go outside again.
Kuchisake-Onna (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Jujutsu Kaisen features many interesting-looking yokai, which it calls cursed spirits. While most of the yokai in this series are original, there is one yokai known as the Kuchisake-Onna that is taken straight from Japanese folklore.
This yokai’s most defining feature is its wide split-open mouth, which it hides underneath a face mask. Whoever comes across this spirit at night will likely get their faces sliced open just like the Yokai’s. Considering how unsettling the Kuchisake-Onna’s story is, it makes sense that Geto would choose to have this yokai working alongside him.
Nago The Guardian (Princess Mononoke)
Princess Mononoke has a lot of intense imagery. It may be a Ghibli film, but it’s definitely not for children. This is made apparent by the appearance of the boar yokai at the beginning of the movie. The curse has driven the creature completely wild.
The black slug-like creatures crawling all over the boar make it look like the boar is decomposing, which is a truly disgusting sight to see. When the black slug completely consumed the boar, it becomes even more terrifying. It takes on an appearance of a giant spider and nearly kills Ashitaka.
Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer)
Demon Slayer is set in early-20th century Japan, so it’s only natural that it draws upon Japanese mythology for inspiration. A slew of the demons that series protagonist Tanjiro Kamado faces are inspired by Yokai. However, there is one that stands head-and-shoulders above his peers: Muzan Kibutsuji.
Muzan stands atop the demon world, much like the yokai, Nurarihyon, that was his inspiration. Nurarihyon is often considered to be the supreme ruler of Yokai, which perfectly coincides with the horrifying impact that Kibutsuji has on the world around him.
